The ruling on assisting the family of the deceased in preparing food

Question:
From the Syrian Arab Republic, Deir al-Zor Governorate, this is a message sent by a listener from there who says:
Your brother, who relies on Allah, Muhammad al-Ali al-Hajj, asks and says: Is it permissible to assist the family of the deceased in providing food during the period of condolence, which we call cooperation, such as neighbors, uncles, or close relatives?

Answer:
The Sunnah is to send them prepared food, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when the news of Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) ibn Abi Talib reached him, when he was killed at Mu'tah in the Levant; when the news of his death reached him, he ordered his family—(peace and blessings be upon him)—to send food to the family of Ja'far, and he said: So if neighbors or relatives send prepared food to the family of the deceased during the days of condolence, because they are preoccupied with the calamity and unable to prepare food, this is a Sunnah.
As for assistance with money or otherwise, there is no harm in this if they are poor, if the family of the deceased are poor, and their brothers assist them with money or otherwise on account of the death of the one who was responsible for them and provided for them, then this is good, and it is assistance to them on account of their poverty. As for them preparing food for people on account of the deceased, this is a practice of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah); it is not permissible. The family of the deceased does not prepare food for people unless a guest comes to them to be honored, in which case there is no harm; because they prepared it for the guest, not for the deceased, so there is no harm in this. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.